This photo shows animals actually using a wildlife underpass

Deer are using the underpass near Durango, but elk aren't.

Author:
Allison Sylte

Published:
11:47 AM MST February 1, 2018

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says photos taken with a remote camera on an underpass of US 160 have shown deer, coyotes, raccoons and other small critters using it – and it’s proof of the program’s success.

CPW shared one photo of deer walking through the underpass between Durango and Bayfield on Thursday morning.

The project was completed in fall 2016 in an area where there were 472 reported vehicle-wildlife collisions between 2006 and 2016. According to a news release from CPW, state officials are going to be watching closely to determine how many crashes were avoided thanks to the new underpass.

While deer have been using this underpass, elk have not yet. They do readily use overpasses, CPW said, and that’s why CDOT and the Southern Ute Drive are working to determine if another overpass can be built near US 160 and Colorado Highway 151, according to the news release.

CPW said an overpass and underpass on Colorado Highway 9 near Kremmling have cut wildlife collisions in that area by 90 percent in the last two years.

It’s expected to cost about $1.2 million to build the overpass on US 160, CPW said, and officials are working on figuring out how to fund it.